Shloka 26

Daṇḍanīti and the King as the Cause of Yuga-Order (दण्डनीतिः राजधर्मश्च युगकारणत्वम्)

Devanagari script

दशधर्मगतेभ्यो यद्‌ वसु बह्मल्पमेव च । तदाददीत सहसा पौराणां रक्षणाय वै

Transliteration

daśa-dharma-gatebhyo yad vasu bahv-alpam eva ca | tad ādadīta sahasā paurāṇāṁ rakṣaṇāya vai ||

Translation

مَتّ، اُन्मَتّ وغیرہ سزا کے مستحق دس قسم کے لوگوں سے جرمانے کی صورت میں کم یا زیادہ جو مال حاصل ہو، اسے شہریوں کی حفاظت کے لیے ہی فوراً وصول کر لیا جائے۔

Word by Word

• दशधर्मगतेभ्यः: from those who have fallen under the ten (punishable) categories
• दशधर्मगतेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशधर्मगत
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Plural

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• वसु: wealth; money
• वसु: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसु
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• बहु: much
• बहु: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• अल्पम्: little
• अल्पम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तत्: that (wealth)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आददीत: should take; should accept
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सहसा: at once; promptly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा

• पौराणाम्: of the townspeople/citizens
• पौराणाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• रक्षणाय: for protection
• रक्षणाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• वै: indeed; surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• paurāḥ (townspeople/citizens)
• vasu (wealth/fine)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Punishment and fines are justified only as instruments of public protection: wealth taken from offenders should be promptly directed to safeguarding the community, not to the ruler’s private benefit.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rāja-dharma, Bhishma advises Yudhishthira on statecraft: when fines are collected from certain punishable categories of people, the king should take that wealth immediately and use it for the security of the citizens.